Have you heard of the scarcity principle?
You may know what it is but not the official name for it..
Here are a few examples you might encounter in your everyday life:
- Those super fun “bonus” bags and makeup Lancome gives out during “limited times”
- That little pop up that comes on your screen when you are on Nordstrom’s website eyeing overpriced but too- cute-to-pass-up sandals telling you “only 3 pair in this combination left“
- Amazon “Prime Day” – need I say more?
While we try hard to resist what seems like an obvious sales ploy, we mostly fall for it.
Scarcity drives influence. We all want what we think we can’t have.
Since our blog subscription calendar filled up, for example, we’ve had to move to a waiting list. Truthfully, we’ve never had such demand for our blogs as we do now.
Partly it is because we’ve been at this for almost six years now and word-of-mouth is our top referral source.
But it is also because we’ve been pretty open and honest on our blog about being in a “wait list” situation for our blog service.
Our wait list grows every week.
As soon as we find a writer we love and get them up and running, their calendar is full.
The scarcity principle in action. Online.
So how can you use scarcity to your advantage in senior living content? Can it make your phone ring and the contact forms from your site coming zinging in?
Doe Scarcity Influence Senior Living Decisions
First, it’s important to be honest. Don’t say your community is full when you aren’t.
Transparency is important in building trust. (And I mean real transparency. Not the kind those bloated boys of Congress keep babbling about these days.)
But you do have other opportunities you might consider:
- An email campaign that ties in to a Downsizing Resources Center on your site. Work with a local senior move manager or moving company for “limited time” specials that coordinate with it. Maybe free packing supplies or a complimentary downsizing consultation.
- Are studios your hot property? Or one-bedrooms? Whatever it is, tie availability in to your site and your social media. For example, will a studio becoming available in six-weeks? Promote the heck of it on your content.
- What about any of the other specials you use to try to close the deal and move families forward? Are you promoting those on your digital channels? While we see them on postcards and in ads in local papers, we don’t see many senior living providers doing so online.
You get the idea right?
It’s essentially taking all those thoughtfully designed sales closers and moving them online.
Taking advantage of the fact that 81% of families say they visit a provider’s website before scheduling an appointment. And that they visit the site almost eight times during their search and decision making process.
Create a sense of urgency by using the scarcity principle in your senior living content in subtle ways.
Drop us a note to let us know how that goes or to schedule a time to talk more about your senior living content marketing strategy…